Following A Fatal Shooting, SoCal Officer Strikes The Suspect

San Bernardino: In San Bernardino County, a guy was shot and killed by police. The man was shot and on the ground when the video from Tuesday shows an officer punching him in the face three times with great force.

All About The Incident

The fatal confrontation happened shortly before 2:20 p.m. when a Fontana Police Department officer arrived to the area of Chery Avenue and Baseline Road in response to reports of a guy attacking a person and causing property damage with a metal pole. Authorities said the suspect now identified as Jesus Garcia, a 44-year-old resident of Fontana also broke into nearby AutoZone and shattered computers and registers.

The responding officer made several attempts to defuse the situation, but the man would not drop the weapon or surrender. When the suspect used the pipe to attack the police during the encounter, the officer retaliated with deadly force. The 44-year-old suspect is seen in the footage writhing from side to side on his back as he lies on the ground in the parking lot following the shooting. Then, Garcia witnesses an officer asking him to get on his stomach while donning gloves. In his attempt to roll onto his stomach, Garcia is trampled by the officer, who then turns him onto his back and smacks him in the face three instances until he goes totally limp.

Statement Of The Police Department

Police department representatives acknowledged that videos of Garcia being beaten following his shooting were making the rounds on social media, but they clarified that the footage only captured a fraction of the event. An internal administrative investigation of the entire situation is being carried out by the Fontana Police Department. Dennis Zine, a 55-year veteran of the reserve force, feels that the suspect’s attack on the officer probably justified the shooting that took place during the encounter.

He believes that the officer’s conduct are called into question because of what transpired prior to the 44-year-old being handcuffed and receiving assistance. After being transported to the hospital, the 44-year-old passed away from his wounds. Uncertainty surrounds the amount and state of the officer’s injuries incurred throughout the incident, which also led to his hospitalization.